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Bekum America to sign four new apprentices to its award-winning apprenticeship program

Press Release

Posted at 10:42 AM, Jun 27, 2018

and last updated2018-06-27 10:42:03-04

Bekum America Corporation will sign four new apprentices to its award-winning Apprenticeship Program at a special signing ceremony scheduled from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., TODAY, June 27th at the Bekum Learning Center located at 1140 W. Grand River Avenue in Williamston.

“We are very proud to have four new apprentices join Bekum!” said Steve London, President and Chief Operating Officer. “The apprenticeship program is an essential part of our success and future workforce development and we welcome our new apprentices to the Bekum family.”

New apprentices are:

Ashley C. (Howell, MI) – Mechatronics

Joshua K. (Potterville, MI) - Tool Room

Hunter K. (Laingsburg) - Machine Builder

David M. (Williamston) - Machine Builder

The Bekum Apprenticeship Program works with various school districts including the Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton County RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency), career centers, and high schools to identify and recruit students from local school districts. Each apprentice must complete 8,000 hours of training and successfully complete approximately 60 credit hours at Lansing Community College, working towards an Associate Degree. Bekum established its Apprenticeship Program in 1995. In May of 2001, it graduated the two youngest, active journeyman in the United States. Since the program’s inception, twenty apprentices have graduated from the program and twelve of the graduates are still employed at BEKUM. Including the new apprentices, Bekum will have eleven apprentice students in its program

“Choosing to go through Bekum’s Apprenticeship Program was the best decision I ever made,” said Michael Weiland, former apprentice and current Bekum employee. “I was able to work, earn a living and study at the same time. It’s been an amazing journey and I graduated debt-free with a secure job offer from Bekum.”

BEKUM America was established in 1979 with the mission to introduce top quality blow molding machinery, designed to produce plastic bottles, containers and other large plastic parts in the North American marketplace, via blending German design and technology with American skill and ingenuity. Bekum’s customer base includes large multi-national customers, as well as owner/operator plastic bottle manufacturers.